1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet feeder that feeds sheets and an image reading device including the sheet feeder, and, more particularly, to a sheet feeder that is constructed so that a sheet-feed opening and a sheet-discharge opening that are formed in the sheet feeder are covered when they are not used.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are conventional image readers, such as scanners, and image reading devices, used in, for example, a printer, a copying machine, or a facsimile, that include sheet feeding means for feeding sheets to an image reading section. Such image reading devices including a sheet feeder that is provided at the top portion of the image reading device so as to be openable and closable are disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-86763 and the like.
There are sheet feeders of the above-described type that have a sheet-feed opening and a sheet-discharge opening. The sheet-feed opening is used for feeding sheets held by sheet-holder to a sheet transporting path that is provided inside the body of the sheet feeder. The sheet-discharge opening is used for discharging the sheets that have passed through the sheet transporting path towards discharged-sheet holder.
When the information on a sheet is to be read, after the sheet has been transported to the sheet transporting path from the sheet-feed opening, the sheet is caused to pass by a reading section in order for the information on the sheet to be read. After completion of the reading of the information on the sheet, the sheet passes through the sheet transporting path, and is, then, discharged from the sheet-discharge opening and is held by the discharged-sheet holder.
However, in such conventional sheet feeders having a sheet-feed opening and a sheet-discharge opening, the sheet-feed opening, the sheet-discharge opening, the sheet-holder, and the discharged-sheet holder are continuously exposed to the atmosphere, so that dirt and dust tend to accumulate on the sheet-holder and the discharged-sheet holder. Such accumulated dirt, dust, and other foreign matter tend to enter the inside of the sheet feeder from the sheet-feed opening and the sheet-discharge opening. This may cause the sheet feeder to become defective.
The sheet-holder and the discharged-sheet holder protrude from the body of the sheet feeder. Therefore, these two holders may get in the way when they are not used, and the sheet feeder may give the impression of having a complicated external appearance.
The present invention has been achieved in view of such a situation, and has as its object the provision of a sheet feeder that makes it possible to prevent entry of foreign matter inside the body of the sheet feeder, and that is constructed so that sheet-holder and discharged-sheet holder do not get in the way when they are not used. The present invention also has as its object the provision of an image reading device including the sheet feeder.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sheet feeder comprising a sheet-feed opening for feeding sheets into a sheet transporting path that is provided inside a body of the sheet feeder; a sheet-discharge opening for discharging from the body of the sheet feeder the sheets that have passed through the sheet-transporting path; sheet-holding means which holds the sheets that have been fed into the sheet-transporting path through the sheet feed opening, which is rotatably provided at the body of the sheet feeder, and which is movable between a position where the sheet-holding means holds the sheets and a position where the sheet-holding means covers the sheet-feed opening; and discharged-sheet holding means which holds the sheets that have been discharged, which is rotatably provided at the body of the sheet feeder, and which is movable to a position where the discharged-sheet holding means holds the sheets that have been discharged from the sheet-discharge opening and to a position where the discharged-sheet holding means covers the sheet-discharge opening. In the sheet feeder, when the one of the sheet-feed opening and the sheet-discharge opening that is disposed above the other is to be covered, the sheet-holding means or the discharged-sheet holding means is subjected to inversion rotation so that a surface of the sheet-holding means or the discharged-sheet holding means that is formed opposite to a sheet-loading surface thereof forms a surface of the body of the sheet feeder in order to cover either one of the sheet-feed opening and the sheet-discharge opening. On the other hand, when either of the other of the sheet-feed opening and the sheet-discharge opening is to be covered, the sheet-holding means or the discharged-sheet holding means is moved so that the sheet-loading surface of the sheet-holding means or the discharged-sheet holding means forms the surface of the body of the sheet feeder in order to cover either of the other of the sheet-feed opening and the sheet-discharge opening.
Of the sheet-feed opening and the sheet-discharge opening, the sheet-feed opening may be disposed above the sheet-discharge opening, and the sheet-discharge opening may be disposed below the sheet-holding means.
When, of the sheet-feed opening and the sheet-discharge opening, the sheet-feed opening is disposed above the sheet-discharge opening, and the sheet-discharge opening is disposed below the sheet-holding means, the discharged-sheet holding means may rotate to the position where the discharged-sheet holding means covers the sheet-discharge opening in response to the inversion rotation of the sheet-holding means when the sheet-feed opening is to be covered.
When, of the sheet-feed opening and the sheet-discharge opening, the sheet-feed opening is disposed above the sheet-discharge opening, and the sheet-discharge opening is disposed below the sheet-holding means, or when the discharged-sheet holding means rotates to the position where the discharged-sheet holding means covers the sheet-discharge opening in response to the inversion rotation of the sheet-holding means when the sheet-feed opening is to be covered, in the case where the sheet-feed opening and the sheet-discharge opening have been covered, the surface of the sheet-holding means opposite to the sheet-loading surface and the sheet-loading surface of the discharged-sheet holding means may be adjacent each other in order to form the surface of the body of the sheet feeder.
When, of the sheet-feed opening and the sheet-discharge opening, the sheet-feed opening is disposed above the sheet-discharge opening, and the sheet-discharge opening is disposed below the sheet-holding means, or when the discharged-sheet holding means rotates to the position where the discharged-sheet holding means covers the sheet-discharge opening in response to the inversion rotation of the sheet-holding means when the sheet-feed opening is to be covered, or when, in the case where the sheet-feed opening and the sheet-discharge opening have been covered, the surface of the sheet-holding means opposite to the sheet-loading surface and the sheet-loading surface of the discharged-sheet holding means is adjacent each other in order to form the surface of the body of the sheet feeder, the discharged-sheet holding means may comprise a protruding portion which protrudes upward from the sheet-loading surface of the discharged-sheet holding means when the discharged-sheet holding means is at the sheet-holding location, and which retreats from the sheet-loading surface of the discharged-sheet holding means when the discharged-sheet holding means is at the location where the discharged-sheet holding means covers the sheet-discharge opening.
When the structure of the first aspect is used, of the sheet-feed opening and the sheet-discharge opening, the sheet-discharge opening is disposed above the sheet-feed opening, and the sheet-feed opening is disposed below the discharged-sheet holding means.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a sheet feeder comprising a sheet-feed opening for feeding sheets into a sheet transporting path that is provided inside a body of the sheet feeder; a sheet-discharge opening for discharging the sheets that have passed through the sheet-transporting path; sheet-holding means which holds the sheets that have been fed into the sheet-transporting path, which is rotatably attached to the body of the sheet feeder, and which is movable between a position where the sheet-holding means holds the sheets and a position where the sheet-holding means covers the sheet-feed opening; and discharged-sheet holding means which holds the sheets that have been discharged, which is rotatable provided at the body of the sheet feeder, and which is movable to a position where the discharged-sheet holding means holds the sheets that have been discharged from the sheet-discharge opening and to a position where the discharged-sheet holding means covers the sheet-discharge opening. In the sheet feeder, either one of the sheet holding means and the discharged-sheet holding means is disposed above the other at the sheet holding location, either one of the sheet holding means and the discharged-sheet holding means being subjected to inversion rotation so that a surface thereof disposed opposite to a sheet-loading surface thereof forms a surface of the body of the sheet feeder in order to cover either one of the sheet-feed opening and the sheet-discharge opening. On the other hand, when either of the other of the sheet holding means and the discharged-sheet holding means is used to cover either of the other of the sheet-feed opening and the sheet-discharge opening, the sheet holding means or the discharged-sheet holding means is moved so that the sheet-loading surface of the sheet holding means or the discharged-sheet holding means forms the surface of the body of the sheet feeder in order to cover either of the other of the sheet-feed opening and the sheet-discharge opening.
In the case where the structure of the second aspect is used, when either one of the sheet-feed opening and the sheet-discharge opening that is disposed above the other is to be covered, the sheet-holding means or the discharged-sheet holding means may be subjected to inversion rotation so that the surface of the sheet-holding means or the discharged-sheet holding means that is formed opposite to the sheet-loading surface thereof forms the surface of the body of the sheet feeder in order to cover either one of the sheet-feed opening and the sheet-discharge opening. On the other hand, when either of the other of the sheet-feed opening and the sheet-discharge opening is covered, the sheet-holding means or the discharged-sheet holding means may be moved so that the sheet-loading surface of the sheet-holding means or the discharged-sheet holding means forms the surface of the body of the sheet feeder in order to cover either of the other of the sheet-feed opening and the sheet-discharge opening.
When the structure of the second aspect or the structure using the structure of the second aspect is used, the sheet-feed opening may be disposed above the sheet-discharge opening, and the sheet-discharge opening may be disposed below the sheet-holding means.
When the sheet-feed opening is disposed above the sheet-discharge opening, and the sheet-discharge opening is disposed below the sheet-holding means, the discharged-sheet holding means may rotate to the position where the discharged-sheet holding means covers the sheet-discharge opening in response to the inversion rotation of the sheet-holding means when the sheet-feed opening is to be covered.
In the case where, of the sheet-feed opening and the sheet-discharge opening, the sheet-feed opening is disposed above the sheet-discharge opening, and the sheet-discharge opening is disposed below the sheet-holding means, or in the case where the discharged-sheet holding means rotates to the position where the discharged-sheet holding means covers the sheet-discharge opening in response to the inversion rotation of the sheet-holding means when the sheet-feed opening is to be covered, when the sheet-feed opening and the sheet-discharge opening have been covered, the surface of the sheet-holding means opposite to the sheet-loading surface and the sheet-loading surface of the discharged-sheet holding means may be adjacent each other in order to form the surface of the body of the sheet feeder.
In the case where, the sheet-feed opening is disposed above the sheet-discharge opening, and the sheet-discharge opening is disposed below the sheet-holding means, or in the case where the discharged-sheet holding means rotates to the position where the discharged-sheet holding means covers the sheet-discharge opening in response to the inversion rotation of the sheet-holding means when the sheet-feed opening is to be covered, or in the case where, when the sheet-feed opening and the sheet-discharge opening have been covered, the surface of the sheet-holding means opposite to the sheet-loading surface and the sheet-loading surface of the discharged-sheet holding means is adjacent each other in order to form the surface of the body of the sheet feeder, the discharged-sheet holding means may comprise a protruding portion that protrudes upward from the sheet-loading surface of the discharged-sheet holding means when the discharged-sheet holding means is at the sheet-holding location, and that retreats from the sheet-loading surface of the discharged-sheet holding means when the discharged-sheet holding means is at the location where the discharged-sheet holding means covers the sheet-discharge opening.
When the structure of the second aspect is used, of the sheet-feed opening and the sheet-discharge opening, the sheet-discharge opening may be disposed above the sheet-feed opening, and the sheet-feed opening may be disposed below the discharged-sheet holding means.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided an image reading device comprising a reading section that reads information of sheets; and any one of the above-described sheet feeders. These sheet feeders feed the sheets to the reading section.
In the present invention, the sheet holding means that holds the sheets that are fed into the sheet transporting path from the sheet-feed opening is rotatably provided at the body of the sheet feeder so that the sheet holding means is movable to the position where the sheet holding means holds the sheets and to the location where the sheet holding means covers the sheet-feed opening. The discharged-sheet holding means that holds the sheets that have been discharged from the sheet-discharge opening is rotatably provided at the body of the sheet feeder so that the discharged-sheet holding means moves to the position where the discharged-sheet holding means holds the sheets that have been discharged from the sheet-discharge opening to the location where the discharged-sheet holding means covers the sheet-discharge opening.
In addition, when either one of the sheet-feed opening and the sheet-discharge opening that is disposed above the other is to be covered, the sheet holding means or the discharged-sheet holding means is subjected to inversion rotation so that the surface of the sheet holding means or the discharged-sheet holding means opposite to the sheet-loading surface forms the surface of the body of the sheet feeder in order to cover either one of the sheet-feed opening and the sheet-discharge opening. When either of the other of the sheet-feed opening and the sheet-discharge opening is to be covered, the sheet-holding means or the discharged-sheet holding means is rotated so that the sheet-loading surface of the sheet-holding means or the discharged-sheet holding means forms the surface of the body of the sheet feeder in order to cover either of the other of the sheet-feed opening and the sheet-discharge opening.
As mentioned above, by covering the sheet-feed opening by the sheet holding means or by covering the sheet-discharge opening by the discharged-sheet holding means when the sheet holding means or the discharged-sheet holding means is not used, it is possible to prevent the entry of foreign matter inside the body of the sheet feeder.
When the sheet-feed opening and the sheet-discharge opening are covered by the sheet holding means and the discharged-sheet holding means, respectively, by forming i(F the surface of the body of the sheet feeder by the sheet holding means and the discharged-sheet holding means, it is possible to prevent the sheet holding means and the discharged-sheet holding means from getting in the way when they are not used.
Further objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description of a preferred embodiment with reference to the attached drawings.